WOKING, UK—The New Victoria Theatre buzzed with expectation as the audience awaited the Feb. 5 performance of Shen Yun Performing Arts. Alan Forster, director of a theatre ticketing company, said he marveled at the “athleticism” of Shen Yun’s dancers.

“The movement of people when they were performing, this is very effortless,” he said.

“It’s always interesting. There’s some programs I like watching, like Eurovision, for example. You get to see some culture. And then Eurovision is less and less traditional, so it’s nice to see something traditional from a different culture,” he said.

“It’s not a performance, it’s an experience,” Mike Craddock, a director for commercial radio, said of Shen Yun. “When you sit in the show, you just feel like it’s talking to you. I found myself quite emotional and had a most amazing time, so I absolutely love the show.”

Shen Yun seemed to be asking Mr. Craddock for introspection and he explained it as a way to “look within.”

“Look within. You know, we get confused with social media and television, and really, the most amazing experiences are so simple: it’s people and life, it’s wonderful.”

Mr. Craddock had one word to describe the dancing: “Joyful. There you go, pure and simple, joyful.”

“I just think they make it look so easy. You can see these are real professionals, real athletes. So you can see they’ve spent many years perfecting their skills.

“I find the artists are fantastic. So I'd like to thank each and every one of them. Thank you, all of you. Thank you for the experience.”